Beautiful Lover
by sn0wfl0w3r
Summary: Secrets, pain, jealously, and lust all make the mind crazy when in love. What started out as harmless intrigue suddenly turned much darker with each kiss and touch. Sakura never realized how much she could love another man after her husband's death.


**Beautiful Lover**

I.

Everyone felt sorry for her. Sakura knew that was what was going on in their brains as she continued to dance the night with the various men who had asked her at tonight's wedding. She wore a red halter dress that flowed down to her knees in waves. Her long pink hair was let down in large curls as she glided across the floor with her partner. His hand stationed at her waist while she held his other hand. He smiled down at her with a cricked grin; Sakura tried very hard not to look too desperate.

Her fault that she came, she continued to tell herself. All the ramblings between the people in the crowd were about her surprise entrance at the church today.

After all, Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who had crushed over her for years was finally getting married to her "enemy" Yamanaka Ino. Of course, that was in middle school. She guessed they could have been rivals in love over two men; one of which Sakura had married, the other man which Ino was now married with.

Sakura didn't care for what others had to say. Naruto was truly at a point in his life where he was happy to begin the rest of his life with the woman he loved. And he invited her to share this happy occasion. Sakura could not deny her best friend the invitation. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Naruto talked with Ino's parents, shaking hands with various blondes on the Yamanaka side. Sakura hid her frown.

She was the only single person left in their friendship; that is, a _widowed_ single person. Her husband Sasuke had died years ago from a car accident. She cried her heart out for the man she had loved since kindergarten. She never believed such grief could ever be able to be forgotten, and it still wasn't, but Sakura was moving on with her life slowly. She wasn't dating, but putting herself out there for people to recognize her potential.

Many of the older women tonight were advising their sons not to touch her. Even though society was supposed to evolve from such old traditions, Sakura wasn't surprised by their old custom. As a widow, Sakura was expected to spend the rest of her life in grieving. But she wasn't going to let her life waste away to nothingness. She was only twenty-three, intelligent, and paid her own taxes. She relied on no one for help, except for companionship. And Sakura had been missing that aspect of her life ever since Sasuke's death.

The music slowed down and the couples on the floor halted.

"Can I get you a drink?" asked the man, a bit jittery.

Sakura smiled kindly up at him, "Sure-"

"Takeshi, come over here!"

"Yes, mother!"

Sakura's jaw dropped a bit as she watched the young man flounder toward an older woman covered in a large overcoat.

"We're leaving!"

"But Mother-"

"No buts! I told you not to court that woman! She was already married!"

"But she's-"

"I'm not feeling well!"

"Oh of course, Mother! Let's hurry!"

Sakura smacked her forehead as more rustling between the mother and son continued until they left the room. Sakura walked away from the dance floor, past the other guests, to the nearly empty bar and took a seat.

"Water, please."

"Water? After that embarrassing stint, I'd get something a bit stronger."

Sakura's eyes raised to the person who had taken a seat next to her. He was a tall man with silver hair. One of his eyes was covered in a black eye patch, to her horror, as he smiled at her.

"Hatake Kakashi."

"The one and only," he said coolly.

Sakura chuckled and shook hands with her old professor. It had been three years since she had last seen him. He didn't look any older. Still the same as when she was in college and had taken his philosophy class to become his top student that semester.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, thanking the bartender for the water, as she fixed her attention on his face. He certainly was still handsome with his chiseled bone structure and dark tuxedo.

"I was invited." He stated simply. He took a seat on the stool next to his former student, positioned away from the bar, with his eyes staring at the guests. "I've heard more about you from them than from yourself."

Sakura sighed, sipped her water, and finally rubbed her forehead before she could answer his question. "I married a billionaire's son and became a widow after two months. I should be used to this, but it never gets more comfortable." Her eyes stared at the water in her glass. "What do you think about this whole situation?"

There was a slight pause before he spoke again. Sakura turned her head to look at Kakashi. She noticed his eyes were ogling at a young woman surrounded by a bunch of men.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I'm surprised you're still single, Hatake-sensei. How old are you anyway? Fifty?" The sudden reference to marriage and age had the silver-haired man coughing.

"I'm thirty-seven, Sakura. Still a pretty good-looking bachelor, don't you think?" He fixed his bow tie and stood up straight from the stool. He placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, sending an unexpected shock down her arm, as he smiled coyly at her," You've always been a beautiful, smart woman. Whatever you're looking for, it'll come to you." He walked away from her, heading toward the beautiful woman he had been staring at.

Sakura watched him leave, a bit saddened by his departure, but touched by his warm words. His display of warmth caught her by surprise, for she never reasoned that the perverted professor who read elicit books during their exams could be such a philanthropist.

"Hey, I saw you talking to Hatake-sensei. Surprised he still looks the same?"

This time, Sakura's heart lifted, as she noticed the blonde groom approach her with his signature, wide smile.

She opened her arms wide to embrace him and he circled his arms tightly around her frame.

"Mm…strawberry. You do realize that I've invited all the single male friends I knew tonight, right? They all want the chance to meet my beautiful best friend they've heard so much about!" Naruto chuckled as Sakura playfully punched his arm.

"Shut up! I swear you're turning into my father!" Sakura grinned as they continued chatting about the men she had danced with tonight. "The last one was a joke! Don't you have any decency to exclude the mama's boys?" She shook her head in disdain," I was completely embarrassed!"

Naruto laughed," Hey, Takeshi's a doctor, owns a mansion, and has a nice Lamborghini. Besides, he's never had a girlfriend! I thought you'd be more open!"

Sakura fumed, but nonetheless, remained less than her usual temper tantrum," I guess you were only trying to help. But still…" She groaned pitifully.

"If I can't find Naruto he's always with you." Ino made her way towards the two friends, dressed in a white strapless mermaid dress. Her blonde hair was in a tight bun and a strand of her bangs hung from the side. Dangling pearl earrings hung from her ears. The whole arrangement made Ino the most elegant bride Sakura had ever seen, even more than herself at her own wedding.

Naruto extended a hand out toward his wife and pulled her lovingly into his arms. He kissed her cheek as she giggled under his ministrations.

Sakura watched with a genuine smile.

"He isn't always going to be with me anymore," stated Sakura gently," He's got a new life ahead of him. Our single days together are over."

Naruto noted the hurt tone in Sakura's voice, and his smile faded just a bit before Ino stepped in.

"Oh, Sakura, don't you worry. With your lovely image, you'll find a great man just like Sasuke." Ino reached out both her arms toward Sakura, which Sakura accepted," I saw you talk to Hatake-sensei. You two seemed really into each other."

"What? No way!" exclaimed Sakura preposterously. She immediately released her hands to bring them to her chest in horror, "I would never go for a man like him! He's a…a…"

"How dare you!"

The loud smack resonated in the air as everyone silently turned to the middle of the dance floor. The beautiful woman Sakura had seen Kakashi ogling over had slapped another man who had pulled at her dress. The man angrily tried to hit the woman back, but Kakashi stepped in to stop the man from hitting her.

"She said she didn't want to dance with you." Kakashi spoke calmly, aware that everyone's attention was on the three of them.

"Bitch! You're engaged to me, remember?" the man shouted to the woman. "Why were you dancing with this old man?"

"Excuse me, I'm not old-"

"Kenta, I hate to have this argument with you at a beautiful wedding like this! I am just dancing! Even if he's old, what's it matter to you?"

"Like I said, I'm not old, I'm-"

"Are you blind? This man has gray hair! _Gray_ hair!"

"Do you think I give a rat's ass about his hair? You never listen to me!"

"I don't have gray-"

"Shut up!" the man and woman snapped at Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed, walked away from the scene and headed toward the bar. Naruto saw him coming and unwrapped his arms around Ino.

"I got to fix this," he muttered," I should have known better than to invite my boss and his egocentric fiance."

"I'm coming with you!" exclaimed Ino, running after him.

Sakura had covered her mouth from shock. Kakashi walked right back to his seat that was next to Sakura.

"Water, please."

"Water? After that embarrassing stint, I'd get something a bit stronger."

Kakashi turned his attention to Sakura who had taken her seat next to him again. She held up her glass of water with a smile.

Kakashi smirked, thanked the bartender who had given him his water, and tipped glasses with his former student. Seconds later they erupted into laughter about each of their their horrible, embarrassing moment tonight.

They had no idea that behind each other's laughter was the same, craving feeling for companionship that they longed to have fulfilled.


End file.
